Author
Topic: Otto Warmbier (Read 1697 times)

So do you guys believe this guy was really stealing the banner for the lady at the church? He got 15 years for taking the banner. If they find out he was lying in court, my guess is he'll be there a lot longer than that.

Yeah, probably. Hell, I'd view such a thing as a fantastic souvenir. Wouldn't you? Of course the difference is that I'm not stupid enough to visit a country where my US passport makes me a political bargaining chip. If it wasn't the banner they could just as easily have found some other thing to charge him with.

And ya know, people still try to smuggle drugs out of Thailand.

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Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows. E.F. Benson

After reading up on some other yanks held in DPRK, there's a pretty simple pattern. They'll hold him for a year and then some high level diplomat (or former basketball player) will show up and take him home. Seems all they really want is some sort of recognition, to appear as a normal player on the world stage. A visit by some dignitary is usually all they really want. As for the conditions, it can range from typical American penitentiary to the Burma Railway. Some people wind up staring at a wall 24 hours a day in a normal cell with food and water, and some starve within a year toiling in the jungle. Seems American males usually get something in between, akin to growing corn at Angola. A shit place to be, but he'll get food and medical care. Ironically, being an American is what caused his plight in the first place, but it's also what will keep him from the conditions that kill so many Koreans.

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Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows. E.F. Benson

Yea, I agree with what's been said. He likely did it IMO, but obviously the crime is not worth the punishment, it's just a tactic used by NK to not only get some recognition, but maybe something else from our government to get the guy back.

Honestly, I am fine for having him do the time (assuming he did in fact steal the banner) instead of us sending a diplomat over. He is an idiot and while I know the punishment is pretty harsh for such a petty crime, the guy had to know what he was doing was a huge risk to himself.

Hey, a fellow UVa'er (I'd call myself an alum, but I didn't graduate from there. This guy is an Echols scholar. He ain't no dummy. So no way am I going to by that he hasn't developed a true sense of consequences.

Kenneth Bae was a local to my area so his story was always in the news.

Why do people continue to go to places to visit where they really are not wanted?

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"Nostalgia is just the ability to forget the things that sucked" - Nelson DeMille, 'Up Country'

Rumor is North Korea is starting a new show similar to the car show where a dude starts with a relatively crap car and keeps making deals and trade offs until he finishes with a flash sports car.

US Tourist. Dennis Rodman comes to negotiate. Tourist gets to leave, but Rodman was found stealing towels.

Rodman -> Jesse Jackson -> Al Sharpton

The Al Sharpton episode is a great one as they start to worry dear leader has lost his mind and actually traded down. They also are thinking of just sending Sharpton back or making him "disappear" because he is that annoying.

Dear Leader steps up and says MSNBC has worked out a deal to trade Sharpton for Keith Olbermann by going over their old contracts. Dear Leader is heading down the hall to close the deal, but it finally is enough and a coup takes place. Season Finale.

Will the Season opener show that NK just gave up and returned Sharpton. Rumors are they will trade for a John Kerry and keep pushing for the ultimate prize. President Trump is not happy that he is now #2 in the ratings.

He's from here in the 'Nati. Everyone here that have been interviewed on local media, say it as being pronounced ''warm -beer".

Not sure why he went to NK, but he and his family are very active in their church. My guess is he went there thinking he could proselytize. The people in the community of Wyoming (suburb of Cincinnati) are being very careful with what they say to the press for fear it will come back on him in the DPRK. Even going so far as to hide their faces from camera view.

So not only taking a chance and traveling there, if he did indeed try and steal the poster it was pretty damn stupid. 15 years is pretty extreme, and I'm sure NK are only trying to get more recognition. Some propaganda bullshit they can use to continue to subvert and subdue their people.

I've seen where defectors from NK wind up completely immersed in primitive Christian churches, not to get "Jesus", but because their lives are so full of worshiping their Supreme Leader, that they need desperatley to fill the need and void for some other type of zealotry. So, I imagine it's pretty fucked up to be there.

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You don't HAVE a soul.You ARE a soul.You HAVE a body."I came here to drink milk and kick ass; and I just finished my milk."